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CLOWN OF THE SKY
by Colleen Fliedner
The poor crow is the most
misunderstood and under-rated of all our feathered friends. He’s not noble, like the Eagle. Nor is he
equated with love or peace, like the venerable dove. He certainly doesn’t have the beautiful
plumage of a Cardinal or multi-colored parrot.
And no one has ever considered attaching a message to a crow’s leg like
the dependable homing pigeon.
In fact, most people consider the
crow to be nothing more than a pesky chatterbox; or even worse, a mysterious,
malevolent creature associated with witches and wizards. Most experts believe that crows are the most
intelligent, highly evolved of all birds.
Crows are monogamous creatures, staying with a mate until death. Couples
are usually seen sitting together, affectionately caressing and preening one
another. And when one of the pair dies,
the other usually dies of grief within a short time.
With an
average wing span of between two and four feet, the crow is the most powerful
of the perching birds. Generally dining
on berries, insects, seeds and grains, a crow will eat just about anything –
from the Big Mac smashed in the road, to the new lawn seeds you’ve just
planted. For obvious reasons, these scavengers
are hated by farmers. But large farm
animals will actually solicit the crows’ attention. As the insect-covered beast relaxes, the
accommodating crows pick the juicy bugs from the animal’s body; a symbiotic,
win-win situation for both creatures, to be sure.
Crows are intensely playful, often
teasing other animals and even imitating various sounds, including barking dogs
and other birds. Oftentimes, the
black-feathered avians dance around on the ground just for the fun of it. Young crows can make great pets, rolling on
their backs to juggle an object with their feet or playing tug-of-war. Able to mimic sounds, they can be taught to
say a few words.
Most
surprising is that, technically speaking, the crow is a songbird. However, the sounds that emanate from the
throats of the big black birds are anything but pleasing to the human ear. Still, the next time you’re annoyed by the
incessant caw of a crow, remember that beneath that layer of iridescent black
feathers lies the heart of a clown.
